


I Can't Wait To Go Home

by shadesofpink



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: AU, Ian is a make up artist, M/M, Mickey is a movie star
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-09
Updated: 2017-02-21
Packaged: 2018-09-15 23:10:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9262817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadesofpink/pseuds/shadesofpink
Summary: He didn’t know any of the actors from other projects, but he hadn’t expected to, from his understanding the production company was going for a young cast, new faces, most only had a few credits next to their names. But one name stood out, Ian thought he was reading it wrong, it couldn’t be the same guy? Mickey Milkovich?...the Hollywood dreamboat that his younger sister had posters of on her wall? He’s gonna be in a gritty network show about the South Side? Doesn’t he have a rom-com to star in? But no, Ian wasn’t reading it wrong.  At least his face wouldn’t require too much work in the make up trailer…





	1. There's a light on in Chicago

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is my first multi-chapter story ever, and only my second for Shameless although i've written many one shots in other fandoms in previous years. I'm not 100% sure how this process will go but I have outlined it to about 15 chapters, which I hope to keep about this length. I'm not sure what my updating schedule will be like, or if I even will depending on how this chapter goes. I don't have a Beta so any mistakes are my own and you will have to bare with me i'm afraid. Please give me as much feedback as possible, i'm new to this whole thing and very open to advice. I got this Idea in my head and I just had to start writing it. So please please let me know how you feel about it!  
> This chapter is mostly introductory and back story and therefore is not very dialogue heavy, that should change going forward.
> 
> Story title from Ed Sheeran's _Castle On The Hill_  
>  Chapter title from Fall Out Boy's _Chicago Is So Two Years Ago_

Ian startled awake as the Captain began announcing their descent, he had barely fallen asleep it felt before the harsh voice crackled throughout the cabin alerting him to fasten his seat belt and stow his tray table. The flight from LAX to O’Hare was about four hours, but today it had felt like mere minutes. He must have been tired, a lack of sleep over the past few nights in anticipation and anxiety of this new adventure catching up to him. As the plane landed smoothly Ian let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. He wasn’t scared of flying, that wasn’t it. It was just landing that had become a thing he’d realized over the many flights he’d taken in the past few years. He always held his breath, waiting for the hit, waiting to go up in flames, waiting for the breaks to fail, never realizing until after it was all over just what was rushing through his mind. It was with that exhale, sometimes of relief, sometimes of disappointment, that he was always bought back into the moment. He had usually blamed it on his meds but sometimes, like today, he thought it was more to do with the level of fucked his brain was at times.

He remained in his seat as those around him got up to retrieve their baggage from the overhead compartments and chatter among themselves. The plane cleared out a little as he stood gathering his backpack, sliding out of the plane and through the tunnel into the familiar terminal. He found baggage claim quickly, knowing the airport well at this point, and so made his way to the nearby Starbucks while he waited for the baggage belt to start up. He grabbed his coffee - black, three sugars - and found a spot to sit while he waited for his bag.

It already felt good to be in Chicago, felt like home. He had only been gone a few years but so much had changed every time he visited. He was excited to be back for more than a flying visit this time though, a solid 4 month contract on a TV show he was so excited for. His bag was one of the first off, so he grabbed it quickly wheeling it along as he pulled out his phone to get an Uber, tossing his empty cup in the trash. The late September air wasn’t that cold, but it felt it to Ian, the LA sun having weakened his skin that once felt immune to the invasive Chicago wind. He reached into the pocket on the inside of his leather jacket pulling out a smoke and a lighter, lighting up as he waited for his car to arrive before pulling his jacket tight around him, shivering slightly.

He was at his hotel in the Loop before he knew it, a fancy place, not somewhere he would ever stay on his own accord but it was paid for by the production company so he wouldn’t complain. Ian wasn’t poor, not anymore, but growing up without money you learn how to be frugal, and spending out for a 5 star hotel when a 3 star would do what he needed seemed like a waste to him. He walked up to the check in desk, the attendant eying him like he was in the wrong place. He understood it, it was all a bit much for him, he never liked to feel out of place, and he felt out of place here, suits and briefcases at every turn glancing at his jeans and boots with disdain. But fuck them, he deserved to be here as much as they did, he worked his ass off for this, had to go above and beyond to land this job so hell yeah he was going to enjoy the benefits of it.

_“Ian Gallagher… I have a reservation”_

_“Ahh yes Mr Gallagher, I have you with the folks from Showtime?”_

_“That’s correct”_

_“Perfect you guys are on the 18 th floor, right at the top, we have you in room 1812, its got an in room kitchen, Jacuzzi tub and views of the river. Here is your key, your wifi code is in there too, and there is a guide with information on all of the hotel services, the room service menu, and local tourist suggestions in your room.”_

_“Awesome, thanks!”_

_“If you have any questions at any time, realize you’ve forgotten to pack something, need any suggestions our concierge is available to your group 24 hours a day, we know you are going to be here for a while so anything we can do to make you feel welcome don’t hesitate to let us know…."_ Ian nodded _"okay I think you’re set! Would you like us to bring your bags up?”_

_“No no Thanks I just have the one, I’m good”_ Ian never understood why people wouldn't take their own bags, it was just lazy. _  
_

_"Elevator is down that hallway to the right"_ the desk attendant directed him as he moved away from the desk.

Ian pushed the up button he found himself in front of and waited for the ding of the doors, he manouvered himself and his bag into the large space and hit the button for 18. He couldn't help himself leaning against the mirrored wall trying to remember all of the information he had just been fed by the over enthusiastic employee, but gave up as he watched the numbers above the doors lighting up as the elevator climbed the floors. At the Eighteenth he stepped out and found his way into his room he explored the bathroom and kitchen area before standing to look at the view of the Chicago River below. Yeah. He’d missed this place.

It had been four years ago when Ian had decided the city just wasn’t for him, filled with too many memories, regrets, bad decisions. He had spent his childhood on the south side, with his two sisters and three brothers, his mother and her bipolar disorder and his father and his alcoholism coming and going leaving disaster in their wake every time. They all struggled, but it made them closer, Ian though seemed to struggle the most. After running away and using his older brother Lip's ID to join the army, going AWOL, and returning home hurting more than ever Ian hadn’t been able to face his siblings.

He found himself, and a job, at a bar in Boystown. Ian had always known he was into guys, had a few hook ups here and there in high school but nothing special. It was just something he did. When he started working at FairyTale as a dancer he really began to embrace his sexuality, hooking up with different guys almost every night. He’d find a rich guy, usually older, eying him and make the most of the situation in front of him. He would offer them a private dance, take them to the champagne room and indulge in whatever drugs they wanted to push his way, he’d usually black out at some point waking up in whatever condo or mansion he found himself in, usually in various states of undress. It had been good. No, not good, but it had put food in his stomach and a roof over his head even if it meant sharing with three room mates who were just as, if not more than, fucked up as he was.

It wasn’t until his brother found him passed out in the yard one morning in November, just a tank top and jeans covering his body, high out of his mind on god knows what, that he realized what his life had come to. It was that afternoon, after the come down, that he crashed. His whole system just shut down. He couldn’t move, couldn’t function, didn’t get out of bed for days before his sisters forced him up and to a clinic. He knew what the doctor was going to tell him before she had even opened her mouth, but he just couldn’t hear it. He wasn’t his mother. He wasn’t going to be her, didn’t want to cause the chaos and hurt that hurricane Monica was synonymous with. But there it was, a solid diagnosis. Ian had Bipolar disorder, would be medicated until he was in his fifties if not longer.

He made a promise, to himself, and to his family, that he wasn’t going to let this disease ruin his life, or theirs, like his mother had done.So he got right, worked real hard at it. He took a real job at the diner Fiona was managing, it was just dish-washing but it was honest work. He kept his job at the club but toned down his duties to bar tending. He took his meds, he went to the gym, he got his GED and when he’d saved up enough money he sat his oldest siblings, Lip and Fiona, down to talk to them. He explained to them his plan, because he had a plan, despite everything. He was going to school. He had applied and had been accepted. He knew he should have told them before but he needed a new start. That summer he packed his bags, jumped on the first flight of his life, and moved to Los Angeles. He majored in Cosmetology and took a few fashion classes where he could. He had never been big into either until he started work at FairyTale but having the skills to cover up a hickey were invaluable in that line of work and he was their go to guy. It wasn’t long before he was applying make up to all of his coworkers in the bathroom before they headed out on the floor for the night, from simple cover up jobs, to eye liner and glitter, sometimes even body art. Ian taught himself for the most part and he loved it, it was an outlet that he had never considered before and found himself looking forward to it daily.

After completing his classes his advisor had recommended him to a friend of his who worked as a freelance make up artist and was in need of an intern and Ian had jumped at the chance. He was able to get some hands on experience in his field of interest and that was beyond exciting to him. He worked his ass off, and got a glowing review after finishing his internship, which left him with a few clients of his own. He started off small doing some work for music videos and a few independent short films. But what really got the ball rolling for him was landing a job on an independent movie with a ton of special effects work that ended up showing at Sundance which got him more exposure than he could’ve dreamed of. He was busy for a few months straight when he heard through one of his clients who was heading to audition for it about a new TV show being produced by Showtime. It didn’t have a name but was about growing up on the south side of Chicago and was slated to do most of its filming there. Ian got as much information as he could and put in a call to his previous boss to see if he had any connections for him. Luckily he knew the producer and put them in contact.

After weeks of correspondence Ian finally got a meeting with the producer of the show and practically begged for the job, it took another week before he got the call to say it was his and he was beyond eager to get going. He hadn’t even known who had been cast until he performed a quick google search. He didn’t know any of the actors from other projects, but he hadn’t expected to, from his understanding the production company was going for a young cast, new faces, most only had a few credits next to their names. But one name stood out, Ian thought he was reading it wrong, it couldn’t be the same guy? Mickey Milkovich?...the Hollywood dreamboat that his younger sister had posters of on her wall? He’s gonna be in a gritty network show about the South Side? Doesn’t he have a romcom to star in? But no, Ian wasn’t reading it wrong. At least his face wouldn’t require too much work in the make up trailer… 

Ian tore himself away from the window and started to unpack his bag, usually he was fine with living out of his case but seeing as he was going to be here for a while he figured he might as well make himself at home.

 

* * *

 

Mickeys eyes were trained on the window, watching the clouds as they floated past. Nothing but sky above and the Atlantic ocean below. It was god knows what time of night and his eyes were so heavy he could practically feel the bags taking over his face, but he could never sleep on planes so he never bothered trying anymore. Not sure if it was the engine humming that kept him up or the anxiety. He had never liked flying, even now with flying private, it always put him on edge but with his schedule the way it was and his career taking off the way it had it was inevitable. Sure he probably could’ve popped an Ativan but they always left him feeling like shit when he did eventually wake up so it just wasn’t worth it.

The past month had been a whirlwind and he couldn’t wait to get to Chicago to sleep for a few days before starting on his new project. He was excited about it. He was coming off a European press tour for his latest movie, a shitty Nicolas Sparks novel adaption that required the bare minimum of acting skill and a ton of making out with his female costar aka his totally fake “Girlfriend” Layla Michaels. So it should’ve been fun. It was not fun. It was the opposite of fun, this one dimensional pretty face bullshit exterior that was his public image was feeling like more of an act than his actual acting these days and it was getting old. He had been having a ton of success and with that comes expectations, he had been doing what was expected of him, staying in his lane so to speak, sticking with the roles that were handed to him. The pretty boy heart breaker roles, the ones that required him to take his shirt off a lot and be the heroic love interest that saves the poor lonely girl from the bad dude that broke her heart. It was so tired, over done, beaten to death. What was getting especially old was the fact that he felt like a puppet. It used to just be himself that he had to lie about and for, but now he was pretending to date some up and coming actress because his agent Svetlana owed her agent a favor dating back years and it was all just stupid. He and Svetlana worked hard to get his break and what? This girl gets to ride his coat tails? He was bitter about it that’s for sure, he would’ve been less so if he could actually stand the girl but she was as fake as you could get, typical Hollywood type, grated on every last one of his nerves but he grinned and bared it. Besides it could only help the movie right? Despite his feelings towards everything he still wanted the movie to do well because it was his reputation at stake.

Chicago, that was the light at the end of the tunnel. He had to fight to get this audition, no one wanted him to have it. Not his agent, not the directors but the second he saw the pilot script it just screamed that it was meant for him. He had grown up in Chicago, on the South side so he knew this character, he was this character at one point in time, before Svetlana came into his life and whisked him away to Hollyweird. So when he got the call to say he got the part he was excited, more excited he thinks than maybe ever, even that time he met Martin Scorsese in an elevator and he told him he liked his attitude. Svetlana on the other hand was not. She had just secured him a lead role across from Jennifer Lawrence that three other actors were fighting over. They filmed at the same time. There was no way he was going to be able to do both. Svetlana had told him no, they weren’t taking the show. It would be career suicide and tried to convince him that it's what his fans wanted from him. But for once in his career Mickey grew a pair and stood up for himself. He told her it was the show or nothing, she was pissed threw a few f-bombs at him, called him some names, ungrateful dickhead was the most prominent but after she calmed down she knew. Mickey wasn’t that guy, he did what she asked of him 99% of the time, it took a bit of convincing sometimes but she usually got what she wanted. She wouldn’t win this though, his heart was set on it. She understood why, she really did but she fought so hard to get him out of Chicago, to convince him that he had talent and worth, that he could be this big name actor, she was scared going back was going to erase all of that, that he would fall back into old patterns, old habits. Mickey would never admit it but he was scared of those things too, but he had to try.

 

_“Mick…..Mickey”_ Svetlana snapped her fingers from across the aisle at him _“You alive in there??”_

Mickey finally shook himself out of his trance and turned towards his agent, an apologetic look on his face.

_“Sorry, I guess I kinda zoned out a bit there”_

_“No, it’s okay, I just thought you want to know. I talked to Mandy, the press release is being sent out as we speak. By the time we land you’ll be a single man again”_

He laughed as she winked at him grabbing his knee and jostling it a little.

_“You’re a good man Mickey Milkovich”_ she smirked _“now whats going on in your head? It’s not too late for me to call back about the Jennfier Lawrence movie if you changed your mind!”_

Mickey sighed, defeat on his face.

_“No. No Jennifer Lawrence movie, I think I can stand that bitch less than I could stand my last fake girlfriend, so No. No thank you.”_

Svetlana rolled her eyes, knowing how much he hated faking it, the girls always loved it, always thought it was more than it was, A business arrangement.

_“No I’m just, I’m really excited to get back to Chicago, to start this project….I know you’re not a huge fan of the idea and I know you’re worried about me, but it’s gonna be good I promise. I really think this could be huge for me. Give me some credibility you know…”_

_“I know Mick, you just, we gotta keep you focused on this one.”_

_“Yeah, No girls this time, please, I don’t have it in me…”_

_“I promise.”_ The two held out their pinkys to do a pinky swear.

Svetlana and Mickey were by no means best friends, but the amount of time they had spent together over the past few years meant they knew each other better than they let on at times and Svetlana knew that look in Mickeys eyes the one that said _“we didn’t say anything about Guys”_ and she wasn’t going to question it. Svetlana had known mickey was gay about three days into knowing him, Mickey realized it about a year later. He had never out right said it but it was sort of unspoken between them. He knew to get where he was now would’ve been ten times harder for him being out, so he was waiting the course. She knew Mickey was getting closer to it but she wasn’t ready for that moment, the one where they'd have to sit down and really deal with it.

Their flight landed at Midway around 5am Chicago time, they were met on the tarmac by the car service and driven straight to the hotel before being whisked up to their room upon arrival. The room was one of the biggest on the floor. They had a living space, kitchen area and two separate bedrooms on each side, Mickey chose his room and Svetlana moved her bags into the other one. She found Mickey in the bathroom soon after, brushing his teeth. She kissed his cheek before heading back towards the living space to close the black out blinds, he followed her soon after, standing in the doorway of his room as she spoke.

_“Welcome home, I’ll wake you up for dinner”_

_“Thanks Lana, for everything….”_ He smiled quickly, eyes trained on the carpet.

_“Of course handsome, now go get some sleep”_ she whispered.

Mickey threw himself onto the bed after closing the blinds in his own room and plugging his phone into charge. He scrolled through his twitter feed, glad to see that news of his “Break-up” was spreading like wildfire. He sent a quick text to his sister to thank her, sometimes having family on your team is the best, and to let her know they had arrived. She didn’t understand his motivation for coming back here, she had hated this city, only had bad memories of it. Mickey had bad memories too, and he was sure they’d creep up on him a time or two while he was here, but there was also a lot of good he remembers about Chicago. In fact the first five years of his life in Chicago were near perfect, it wasn’t until his mother passed away that things really went down hill. But even then there were good days, his youth was scattered around this city and he’d be damned if he didn’t appreciate all the things he had learned about life and love and loss from this place. Mickey would not be the person he is, wouldn’t have all this patience and strength within him if he had not have been tested here in his early years. He was aware of all of the things he did wrong here, all of the shit he should never have been into in the first place. But he didn’t regret it, it built him, it shaped him, gave him a sense of self and of character. He wasn’t perfect, but he was realizing he wasn’t stupid either. He knew his own mistakes, owned up to them, faced them in the light of day and now he’s here again and he’s not going down that route. It’s not who he is now. Mickey found himself feeling lighter, he wasn’t sure how he would feel once he actually got here, but lighter was definitely the word. He was ready to make new memories in this city he had such a deep affinity with and ready to move past all of the bullshit and the pain.

Mickey stood up from the bed his mind too wired from overthinking and made his way to the window pushing back the curtains just enough to see the river below. Mickey had lived here for the majority of his life but it had felt like such a distant memory over the past few years in LA. He had moved out there with Svetlana once she had landed him a role in a CW show that got cancelled after its first three episodes, he should've given up then, but realized quickly that it was the show that had sucked and not him so he kept going. He had lived in LA ever since but it never had felt like he belonged, never sat right with him. His dark hair and pale skin made him an outsider in the land of fake tans and beach blondes. It never felt right, waking up in city after city, day after day, none of them took his breath away, none of them put that lump in his throat, the weight in his stomach, that warmth in his soul. But being here, looking out at the slight fog lifting over the city, it felt perfect. It felt like he had remembered. He knew then what he had always known, this was it, this was his home. The sense of longing, of something being missing, that emptiness in his chest, it didn’t feel so large anymore, not nearly as daunting.

He stood looking out at the city in front of him, the sun rising over the horizon, breaking through the skyscrapers as people started their day below. He was tempted to just get dressed and head out, grab a bagel and coffee, go for a walk along the river, be at ease with this city, his train of thought was quickly interrupted by a yawn that took over his entire body, which seemed to make the decision for him. He straightened up the curtains again and crawled back into bed before checking the time, just before 7. He placed his phone on silent and back onto the bedside table he curled up under the covers and closed his eyes, knowing he needed to get some good rest. He hated showing up with dark circles under his eyes, he had always thought the less time he had to spend in the make up chair the better.


	2. Something Brand New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hi I’m Mickey, I like long walks on the beach and pizza rolls”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here is chapter two! I'm still getting used to this multi chapter thing so hopefully it isn't too awful. This one took a little bit longer than I had anticipated and trying to find the right balance between things was a little harder than expected. I hope you guys like it as much as i'm liking writing it. I'm really excited for where these characters are heading and future chapters are likely to move a little more quickly than these first two have, so apologies if its seeming a little slow to start. Please once again, let me know you thoughts, feelings, opinions. I'm open to any and all comments and please give me any advice you think I could use! The feedback from the first chapter was awesome and more than I had expected so thank you to all who gave Kudos, bookmarked or commented!

It was 6.45am on Monday morning when Ian rolled over, hand roaming the bedside counter for his phone, desperate to snooze his alarm for the third time that morning. Failing in his attempts he finally forced himself to sit up and find the device before shutting off his alarm. He had to be up and out by 7.30 if he wanted his day to go as planned.It was technically his first day of work and he was excited to get started. He wasn’t scheduled to arrive until after noon, the cast had a table read of the first episode in the morning and he would really be of no use until test shots and make up trials were taking place later in the day. But Ian was nothing but organized, he liked his space to feel like his own so he was going to head down to base camp and get himself familiarized with the hair & make up trailer as well as hopefully meeting his new partner in crime, Veronica. They had emailed a few times after they had been put in contact with each other by the production company, it had been mostly business but they had gotten to know each other a little throughout their conversation. Veronica was going to be in charge of hair for the show and she would be taking up the other half of his make up trailer.

Ian pulled himself out of bed once he had given up any hope of getting more sleep and shuffled into the bathroom swallowing his pills and showering quickly before brushing his teeth and styling his hair. He headed back into the bedroom throwing open the closet and pulling out the outfit he had half decided on before falling asleep last night. Black skinny jeans, boots, an army green Henley and a denim button down finished off with his leather jacket. After getting dressed he looked himself over in the mirror. He grabbed his backpack from the floor and gathered a few items, phone charger, extra lighter, spare t-shirt (his job got messy at times, sue him) before tossing them in and zipping it up. He started to head out before turning around quickly to grab his room key, watch and sunglasses off of the counter, with the way the rays were beaming through the crack in the blinds this morning, he was going to need them. He slid the aviators on to his face and the key into his wallet as he headed to the elevator sliding the watch over his wrist, glancing at the time as he did so… 7.20, just enough time left to grab coffee and still stay on schedule. Ian crossed the street to the extremely conveniently located Starbucks, ordered his drink and a breakfast sandwich and was quickly on his way. He had debated taking an Uber, they even had a shuttle for the show from the hotel, but he wanted to take the L, it had been so long and he craved the experience after being away for so long. He took the stairs up to the track two at a time just as a train was pulling in and jumped on. It was crowded to no surprise being the time of the day, but he managed to squeeze his way into a seat after only a couple stops. It wasn’t long before he arrived at his stop and found himself far too familiar with his surroundings. Ian arrived just after 8 and headed to the production office, he got acquainted with everyone there and picked up everything he would need to get a start on his day, signing a few sheets and filling out contact forms. They hadn’t expected him quite so early, but he knew he’d rather look too eager than to seem as though he didn’t care. 

After navigating his way to his home for the next few months Ian pulled out the keys he had been given to unlock the trailer, there was a pin code they would set up later but for now the key would do. He stepped inside to see a small seating area to his immediate left, a small couch and coffee table littered with tabloid magazines and a TV hanging on the wall next to the door. There was a kitchenette across from him complete with a fridge loaded with waters and sodas, a Keurig and K-Cups on the counter, a microwave as well as some snacks. To his right was a door that led to a small bathroom with a toilet, sink, mirror and a shower stall. It was clearly not meant for daily use but with the unpredictability of filming on location it couldn’t hurt to have nearby. Ian threw his backpack on the couch before heading in further to explore. Behind the bathroom was a closet spanning the entire length of the trailer, which upon opening contained almost everything he could expect to need as a Make Up Artist, as well as all of the necessary equipment and products he was sure Veronica would need, organized in pristine fashion. There was a hanging bar in the middle separating the make up side from the hair side, perfect for wardrobe to leave outfits on. Ian had noticed how the doors to the closet doubled as a magnetic white board, perfect for pinning up reference photos and making any necessary notes. Just as the closet spanned the length of the one side, the other was fitted with a counter and ceiling high mirrors, vanity lighting all around. There were four swivel chairs placed equally apart down the length of the counter each with its own power bank and dresser in front of it.

Ian found himself sitting on the couch as he unzipped his backpack, preparing to pull out his belongings and make himself at home. He was stopped in his tracks when he saw Layla Michaels on the cover of one of the magazines on the table, a headline about her shocking break up catching his eye. Wasn’t she dating Mickey Milkovich? Great he had thought, not only is he the most famous so most likely to have an ego, but now he’s going to be on edge because of a break up. Ian usually hated when personal shit got in the way of work so he was hoping Mickey wouldn’t be too distracted by it.

 

* * *

 

 

Mickey woke up to the brutal blast of sunlight flooding his room, being greeted by a glaring Svetlana, arms crossed at the end of his bed as his eyes adjusted.

“Up. It is already 7am. I let you sleep, now up!”

“Ten more minutes, pleaaaase”

“No, I’m going to turn on the shower, if you’re not up by the time I come back I am not afraid to tweet those selfies you took on my phone last week”

“God you’re the worst” Mickey mumbled as he threw his pillow over his head.

Mickey pushed himself into sitting as Svetlana turned and walked towards the bathroom, the sound of the water starting up soon after. He forced himself off of the bed and shuffled towards the bathroom, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he went. After a quick shower and getting dressed in Jeans, a black fitted V-Neck and a dark blue and white plaid shirt he ruffled his hair a bit in the mirror trying to get it to not look like the mess it currently did. When he was slightly satisfied he headed towards the living space where there was coffee and breakfast waiting for him. He loved having Svetlana around, she kept him in check and made his life a ton easier, but some days he missed little things like running to Starbucks or getting a McMuffin on the way to work. Everything these days felt so meticulously scheduled and planned and he understood that it had to be that way sometimes if he wanted to be the best version of himself, well at least the most productive. But some days it crushed his soul a little bit. He sat in silence as he ate, replying to a few texts and browsing social media. His tweets filled with messages of support from fans over his now very public break up. He felt bad that they thought he was crying in dark room somewhere, because he wasn’t. It had felt more like a lifted weight if he was being honest. He hated lying to his fans, the real ones anyway. He had always been able to distinguish the fans who were genuinely interested in him as an actor, and his well being and his career than those who only cared about him being the hot guy and catering to their wants. It was especially obvious now, seeing the difference in support for him starting this project and those who couldn’t understand him turning down the big Hollywood role opposite a fan favourite actress.

He was interrupted from his own head when Svetlana joined him at the table, phone in hand – this was a part of their every day routine, so he knew exactly what was coming next.

“9am - arrival and mingle, this will be time for you to be introduced to the production team and fellow cast, there’s going to be coffee and just a general hang out, possibly some ice breaker type situation, so don't pout over it and have an open mind!”

“Ugh” Mickey rolled his eyes, he liked meeting new people, and loved first days with new casts, picking out who he’d probably be working with the most, which actors he would probably get along with best and usually which of the actresses he’d be rumoured to be dating first… but he hated ice breakers, they were the worst. He didn’t need to be forced into some “Hi I’m Mickey, I like long walks on the beach and pizza rolls” speech.

“I know you hate it but you’ll be fine. 10am – Table read, you know how those go. Noon til about 5pm is cast rotation through wardrobe, hair and make up as well as one on one meetings with the director, producers and writers. You have meetings first and then wardrobe at 3, and hair & make up at 4”

“Sounds pretty straight forward”

“Should be, nothing you can’t handle” Mickey nodded and looked at the time, 7.45.

“I guess I should start getting my shit together huh?”

“Yeah, the car should be here around 8.15, base camp isn’t far but its Monday morning in the city so could take a bit.”

“Alright, I’ll be ready”

Mickey headed back into his bedroom taking his coffee mug with him before starting to gather things into his backpack. He grabbed his copy of his script from the desk in the corner of the room, multi-coloured sticky notes protruding from it, sliding it neatly into the bag. He had read the script over a few times and was very excited to get going with it. He had made many notes, something he hadn’t done previously with any other scripts, he always had taken the direction he was given and waited until the director explained his vision before jotting down any instruction. But he had been overwhelmed with ideas and ways that he could play certain scenes and before he had even realized his script was covered with his chicken scratch.

The drive to base camp had been uneventful. Mickey mostly on his phone, texting with his sister slash publicist about if he wanted to sell his side of his breakup to a magazine

**Mick:** the fuck do you think?

**Mands:** Just asking, they were gonna pay big”

**Mick:** I don’t give a shit, they couldn’t pay me enough to talk about her

**Mands:** fine don’t say I didn’t ask you…good luck today

**Mick:** I wont, thanks sis

They found their way to the production office to pick up credentials and then headed over to the meet up spot. The room was large and bright and Mickey was glad to see only a few people had arrived so far. They were early but that was always their preferred option. Mickey noticed a table with coffee and snacks on the far side and grabbed himself a cup, itching to have something to occupy his hands. He could feel eyes on him as the room started to fill up, he looked around at the faces and he started recognizing a few of the ones filtering in. He had done the basic google search every actor does on his co-workers, he didn’t know much about any of them honestly but they all seemed pretty cool. The one girl with red hair and freckles he knew as Emily Wilson, she was going to play Jenna who was the closest thing the show had to a lead and his characters best friend turned girlfriend, luckily his google research had found that Emily was married, so that would rule out the network wanting to push them to play up their off screen relationship. He made his way over to introduce himself nervously, he hated introductions, always waiting to make a fool out of himself. Conversation had flowed pretty easily and he knew that they would get on pretty well which was always a relief. It wasn’t long until the conversation expanded to include almost everyone in the room and Mickey relaxed, letting go of some of the tension that had built up in his shoulders.

 

* * *

 

 

Ian was just finishing setting up his things in the trailer when he heard the door open behind him, he was greeted by Veronica stumbling through it, hands full with a take out tray of coffee, a box of donuts and her bags. He rushed over to grab the coffee and donuts out of her hand and placed them on the counter before turning around to introduce himself.

“Ian, Hi you must be Veronica?”

“Indeed! Call me V, Nice to finally meet you Ian” Veronica smiled back, ignoring Ian’s outstretched hand and pulling him into a hug instead. “I see you’ve started to warm the place up a bit?” she laughed at Ians clearly over the top collage in his corner, pictures of his family and friends, as well as the string of lights he had hung.

“Yeah, I hope that’s okay… I feel like I work better when everything is a little home-y feeling”

“Oh honey, totally fine, you should see the stuff I have in this bad boy!” She chuckled throwing her bag down onto the seated area. “Oh and one of those coffees is for you, and help yourself to the donuts!”

“Awesome, thank you!!" Ian took a donut and the coffee and headed towards the work area "So, I set up my stuff on this side” Ian said pointing to the counter space he had begun organizing products on “The other side has more outlets and they had everything organized in the closet on these sides, just figured it’d be easier but let me know, I’m fine with switching if you want”

“No this is great, thank you…is that? Are those closet doors dry erase???”

“YES!!!!”

“Oh my god?! That’s amazing!”

“Yup they’re magnetic too, going to be so useful for organizing and planning everyone”

“Totally, so I’m thinking let me get some stuff set up then we can go over a master plan for these test runs this afternoon?”

“Sounds like a good plan to me, you want any help with anything?”

“Nah I got this, you finish organizing your stuff”

The two started to talk about their lives and interests as they continued to make the space their own. Ian quickly realized that he and Veronica would get on very well. She was fun and goodhearted and made him laugh a lot. Ian always had a hard time with new people, he never quite knew what to say or how to come across the best version of himself, but V made it easy on him. Soon enough they had come up with a plan for the afternoon dividing up the doors into sections for each of the main cast members.

They had about an hour before they had to start meetings and decided to head out to the Target they had spotted down the street to stock up on some supplies. They had purchased magnets and dry erase markers as well as a Polaroid and film to take pictures of the cast with for the doors. They had grabbed a quick lunch and headed back to the trailer just in time to set up the camera and a screen before the first cast members showed up.

First up was Scott and Marcus they were playing the brothers of the main family in the show, teenagers played by 20 something year olds. Scott was tall probably 6’1 and blond with what could almost be called a buzz-cut, he would be playing Jake the middle brother, while Marcus was a little shorter – 5’10 or so and had dirty blond curls and would be playing the oldest of the brothers Luke. The two came in and Ian took their pictures against the screen. V stuck them to the doors in their appropriate sections, writing in each of their names. Although they both looked significantly different in their own styling, Ian understood why they had been cast as brothers, both with similar skin tones and face shapes. It would be easy to make these two look like they were related. Ian took Marcus while Veronica took Scott sitting them in their respective seats. They ran through what they needed to do quickly and wrote all of the appropriate information about what hair and make up products worked best on each as well as any allergies or important information they may need throughout filming. They took “After” pictures of each once they had been fully styled and made up so as to get approval on the looks going forward.

They let the two boys go just as the next two cast members, Emily and Alyssa, who played the sisters of the family arrived. Emily was playing Jenna the oldest sister and sort of matriarch, and Alyssa was playing Becca the youngest sister a pre-teen with an attitude. They ran through the same procedure with them and were soon met with Jeff, Amanda and Lisa at the door, who would play the neighbors to the main family along with Mickey. Jeff would be playing the youngest brother and Amanda playing Livy his live-in girlfriend turned baby mama, while Lisa was the no good alcoholic mother.

Mickey was last of all of the cast to show up at their trailer, having had the most meetings with the production team. As he had the most media training and was the biggest name attached to the show he would be doing most of the publicity for it. He didn’t hate it, he actually liked doing interviews, especially when he got to talk about the project instead of himself, and from what he had gathered that seemed to be how the team was leaning. Mickey strolled into the trailer and was greeted by V who introduced herself and Ian who turned at the mention of his name. He had been nervous about meeting Mickey, mostly because he had never worked with someone that famous or well known, and partially because he had heard about him having a bit of an attitude, so with that on top of the recent break up he had not so casually read about earlier he was a little concerned with how it would go. Ian sputtered out a hello quickly as V took his picture for the board. Ian was going to do his make up testing first as V had some clean up to do from the previous visitors. Mickey sat in the seat in front of Ians station as he eyed him. He was prettier in person Ian had thought. Not that he wasn’t on all of the magazines and TV screens he had seen him on, but he always looked too polished, too fake, too put together. Here, in front of him he looked real, you could see the few fine lines creeping into his face, the undertone of his skin, the slight bags under his eyes. It was refreshing.

“So before we start, you have any rules for me?” Ian asked breaking the silence.

“Rules?”

“Yeah you know, certain brands you don’t like, any allergies? Products you don’t like the scent of?”

“Nah man, nothing I can think of….I usually just let people do their thing”

“Alright, well that makes it easy for me, let me know if there's anything you think of or if anything we use bothers you”

“Sounds good.”

Ian began testing a few make up shades and playing around with formulas, Mickeys skin was great and made applying everything pretty smooth. He wasn’t going to need much in terms of make up, his biggest thing would be any bruises or cuts they may need to apply to his character.

“Alright we’re pretty much done here”

“That was quick…that’s my rule actually, the quicker I get out of this chair the better” Mickey laughed and Ian faked a shocked expression before Mickey had realized how it sounded “No dude, nothing against you, I just…I’m too impatient to sit here being made pretty, I get fidgety”

“Good thing we’re actually trying to make you more ugly then huh?” Ian laughed.

 

* * *

 

 

Mickey looked himself over in the mirror bringing his right hand up to run through his hair. He did look uglier, but not in a bad way, more like a real person than he had felt in a while. Ian reached out to grab his wrist before he could pull his hand back, looking at his knuckle scrawled with the word “FUCK” before reaching for his other hand and seeing the “U-UP” in the same manner. Mickey quickly pulled his hands back and tucked them in his pockets. He had branded himself with the tattoos back when he was a teenager growing up on the south side, it made him look tough even when he didn’t feel it on the inside. He had debated having them removed time and time again over the years but never followed through. They served as a reminder of who he was and where he came from, made sure he never became bigger than himself. Whenever he felt himself becoming to high and mighty he’d see them and bring himself back down to earth. But that didn’t mean they also didn’t serve as a form of embarrassment more often than not. Most of the time he had them covered by make up or edited out in post. Not too many people even knew they existed.

“Hey no show me those!!” Ian said in protest. “are those real???”

“No, they’re sharpie-d on cause I’m secretly a 14 year old Good Charlotte fan….of course they’re fucking real” Mickey rolled his eyes and pulled out his hands, making them into fists so Ian could look at them in their true form.

“Ok fair that was a stupid question, but I just didn’t expect it…this is awesome, do you usually cover these?”

“What can I say, I’m full of surprises” Mickey smirked as he’s known to do when covering up his insecurities, Svetlana would see right through him but no one else could ever tell, they always took it for cockiness. The look Ian was giving him though said he wasn’t buying it…“Yeah, make up usually uses that like tattoo cover up shit, it’s a bitch to get off, I have some I keep around I can bring if you need it”

“No man, I think you should keep em, if you’re okay with it that is?”

“Yeah whatever works best” Mickey shrugged. "Doesn't bother me"

“I feel like they totally work with your character, we’ll ask the team and see but I think it’ll make roughing you up a little easier”

“Don’t need to do too much, I’m pretty rough around the edges when I don’t have people holding me to some higher standard and putting me together every day” Mickey laughed, before Ian pulled the camera over instructing Mickey to hold up his fists again before snapping a picture and attaching it to the board.

“Yeah? I guess I’d say the same, kinda comes with growing up on the south side” Ian smiled

“You grew up here too?” Mickey was surprised, Ian didn’t strike him as a south sider.

“Wait, you’re south side too? I assumed you were born in LA with how you come across in public...” Ian looked genuinely shocked at his revelation. He didn’t even know why he was telling this guy so much. He was usually pretty shut off and all business but it felt easy, comfortable, and besides this production wasn’t like any of the others he had been apart of and he wanted to be the real him, not this LA media trained only give the answer required version he had become.

“Nope, Chicago born and raised, only been in LA about 5 years, crazy what a stylist and agent can transform you into” Ian had that look again, the one that says he could read Mickey like a book. Mickey wasn't sure if it caused his heart to race because he liked it or because it terrified him but either way, it was. But Ian didn't press him on it.

“Huh! Me too, moved out about 3 and a half years ago for school, haven’t really been back for more than a weekend since”

“Alright!! My turn!” V interrupted pulling Mickey towards her.

Ian started to clean up his station as V talked at Mickey about his hair and what her plans were for it. Mickey was distracted though, watching Ian’s every move out of the side of his eye. Something about him was drawing him in. Ian was hot, no doubt about it, he had great eyes and his red hair worked in his favour. He wasn’t bulky but his arms were strong and Mickey could tell he was pretty in shape under his shirt, but something about him made Mickey feel at ease, it was like there was no judgment there. Make up artists usually criticized everything mickey did, he either didn’t moisturize or moisturized too much, he was either too pale or too blotchy or too this or too that, but Ian hadn’t said anything. Hadn’t found any faults with him. It was nice for a change, he felt like finally he was ok. Ian had sat in the chair Mickey had previously occupied coffee in one hand, gossip mag in the other. Mickey scoffed, Ian turned to him, as V stopped talking, noticing what he was looking at.

“Sorry, just I can’t believe you’re reading that”

“What don’t want me to read about how big bad and mean you are breaking this pretty girls heart” Ian laughed something in his eyes questioning if he had crossed a line.

Truth is Mickey was glad to talk about it, He knew Ian probably took most things he read about Hollywood stars with a huge grain of salt, but usually there was something true in them. Mickey smiled, stifling a laugh and hoped the fact that he was in good spirits and genuinely wasn't in mourning of a lost love was coming across properly. “No, go ahead it’s funny, but it’s all fake, so read it but just don’t believe it”

“So if you didn’t break her heart then, did she break yours?” Ian knew he was pushing it, Mickey could tell, V shooting him a warning glance in the least subtle manner.

“No. Absolutely not.” Ian looked at him as though he was trying to work out if he was lying. “We never actually dated, truly. We hung out a few times, and the rest is fabricated by a skilled PR team and agents”

“Interesting”

“Yeah like I said, don’t believe anything in those things, someone usually pays to have it there”

“So no heart break then” Ian laughed and

Mickey did what he does best and flipped him off before laughing out a “Nope”

Ian smiled at him and he felt it in his gut. He knew this project was going to be good, being here felt right, felt like he belonged. Yeah, it was good to be home.


	3. Something Inside Me Has Changed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> So first of all I have to apologize for how long it has taken me to get this chapter out, so far 2017 has not been kind to me and my life has been a bit of a chaotic mess for the past couple of weeks which unfortunately meant this had to take a back seat for a bit. But I finally managed to take some time for myself and finished this chapter up. I can't promise a time frame for the next but I hope it wont be as long!
> 
> I also would like to thank you all for your continued feedback and kudos, it's really helped me to keep going with this story and hopefully you guys like this chapter. I know the first two were a little slower moving, but this one moves a bit quicker I feel. Please let me know what you think, any comments or criticism are appreciated and encouraged! 
> 
> Chapter Title is from the song Starving by Hailee Steinfeld

The first week of filming went off without a hitch. Everything ran smoothly despite being hectic, but Ian liked being busy, it kept him focused. He had known things would slow down after the first few days, they always did. He hadn't been prepared though to end up laying in his bed at noon on Saturday staring at the ceiling with absolutely no game plan for the day. The problem with filming in Chicago was that he knew the city, there was no desire to take a walk, no interest in seeing the cities sights or to explore uncharted territory like other cities would have evoked. After turning on the television and flicking through numerous channels Ian had settled on some documentary on whales, half watching and half scrolling his twitter feed for the two hours of its length. The documentary ended and Ian forced himself up off of the bed and into the bathroom, before he found himself standing in front of the closet.

Deciding to make good use of his afternoon Ian changed into a t-shirt and workout shorts before pulling out his runners and a change of clothes and heading down to the gym to get in a workout. Ian had never much been one for gyms until he moved to LA, he had mostly made do with working out at home in the winter - door frames were his best friend - and running during the summer months, but friends had dragged him to a few classes in college and soon enough he was a regular. He wasn't a gym rat, not at all, but he did like to stay in good shape and it helped him keep some of his negative energy in check. Ian turned into the hallway that he knew led towards the gym walking past a wall of windows he had noticed it looked emptier than usual, he couldn’t see anyone in there. He attempted the door only to find it locked. As he turned to walk back up to his room, slightly pissed off at his wasted effort he was greeted by Svetlana walking towards him.

They didn’t really know each other all that well, Ian knew that Svetlana worked for Mickey, he saw her a few times a day here and there, she would make sure Mickey was in make up and come by to pick him up when he was done. She was intimidating and spoke very few words to Ian over the past week. As she approached she called his name, to be fair he wasn’t sure she even knew it but I guess that was to be expected, she seemed to know everything or at least as far as he had heard.

“Hey, how’s it going?” Ian replied back

“You need Gym?” she questioned, eying Ian’s outfit.

“I was hoping, but I guess it’s closed I must not have read the times right…”

“Not closed, booked out” she smirked slightly as Ian realized what she was saying.

“Must be nice huh?” Ian laughed as Svetlana shrugged.

“Wait here” Svetlana pulled a key from her back pocket unlocking the door and sliding through it before it closed quickly behind her. He leaned against the wall playing with the water bottle he had grabbed from the mini fridge in his room as he waited for Svetlana to reappear. He hadn’t been waiting more than a minute before the door reopened, Svetlana peering her head around it.

“Come” she said, motioning her head inside the gym.

Ian pulled back the door before walking through and following Svetlana into the workout area where a smiling Mickey greeted him from a bench. Cut off shirt and work out shorts hung low around his waist. Mickey was hot, Ian had thought that the first time Debs had made him watch one of his shitty teen rom-coms with her a few years back. He was a Hollywood superstar, it kind of was part of the job description. But in person, up close, Mickey wasn’t just hot, Ian had thought he was pretty damn near perfect. What Ian hadn’t expected was how well they got along, and how quickly they hit it off. They were by no means best friends or anything of the like, but conversation between them had always been easy, never forced or awkward like it can be with some of the other actors. Mickey always seemed to find having his make up done humorous, and Ian liked that he wasn’t a complainer like the others. He had expected him to be if he were being honest, he just seemed like the type. Here in the gym though, there was a certain innocence about him, like he was just an average guy doing average guy things. Like outside these four walls he wasn’t some mega famous millionaire. Ian had known that of course, he wasn’t that stupid, but seeing him like this, not on his guard like he seemed to be at work despite his ease with Ian, it set something off in his stomach, a feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time. Not truly anyway. Attraction. He put a name to it instantly as a sense of dread took over. This was so like Ian, developing a low key crush on the straightest most unavailable and out of his league guy he could possibly find. He pushed the feeling down into his stomach as he heard his name.

“What’s up Gallagher?!” Ian smirked slightly at the nickname, it was day three when Mickey had seen Ian’s last name scrawled on his notebook and decided that from then on that’s what he would call him.

“Not much just trying to get a work out in but seems there’s a gym hog” Ian laughed, eyes pointed at Mickey, who let out a chuckle at the comment.

“Sorry, Its totally douchey right?” Svetlana left the two and made her way back out into the hallway as Ian opened his mouth to reply.

“A little, but I can understand it, I wouldn’t want the paps sneaking pictures of me sweating my balls off either” Mickey was full on laughing at this point, he liked that Ian didn’t seem phased by the ridiculousness of his life, but then again he assumed he was used to it with his line of work.

“Yeah, something like that” Mickey stood up from the bench and made his way over to the stationary bike “feel free to do whatever, just don’t take pictures of me to sell to the paps you know, normal shit” Ian was the one laughing this time, and before he could stop himself let out a snarky retort.

“If I was taking pictures of you I wouldn't be sharing them with anyone” Ian cursed himself immediately, he could do that with his friends in LA, knew that they took his jokes as Ian being Ian, but with Mickey he wasn’t sure how he would react. Ian didn’t even know if Mickey had worked out that he was gay yet, but he certainly knew that Mickey wasn’t, any tabloid would tell you that. What if Mickey wasn’t okay with it? Ian could barely look up to see Mickey’s reaction, panic over taking him. But when he did he wasn’t sure how to feel, Mickey was blushing red, or was that just the fact he was mid work out? Ian wasn’t sure but he could’ve sworn his cheeks were a deeper shade than they had been two minutes ago.

* * *

 

Mickey had a feeling that Ian was gay, but he didn’t want to assume. He knew most people assumed he was straight, and while he had played into that role for years now it never felt good to him, never felt honest, so he had never wanted to lump someone into a box like that, not without confirmation. Although Ian’s comment had more or less confirmed his suspicions, Mickey was more concerned with his sudden awareness of Ian’s presence. He had thought Ian was attractive from the day they had met, and they got along really well, Mickey had even realized how much he actually was starting to enjoy being in the hair and make up trailer, and until this moment he had put it down to a number of other things, the low key nature of the project, or being in Chicago, or that he didn’t have to worry about playing up a fake relationship. He hadn’t considered the thought that maybe it was something more than just a good mood that maybe there was something else going on here.. did he? No he didn’t…he couldn’t….

Shit he had a crush on Ian Gallagher.

Mickey realized quickly that he had probably been staring for a second or two too long and that he was probably blushing a little too much to not give himself away after Ian’s flirtation so he pulled his eyes away and let out a fake laugh before playing off Ian’s comment. Mickey heard a sigh of relief from Ian, he knew Ian regretted the statement the second it left his mouth, even though he shouldn’t have. But that didn’t stop Mickey from feeling a twinge of guilt as he thought about how nervous Ian must have felt after that slip. For all Ian knew he liked girls and he probably expected him to be offended by a guy making a comment like that. Ian had moved to the treadmill across the gym as Mickey took a seat on the bike. After about 20 minutes Mickey found himself wandering over to the weights, he hadn’t lifted in a while, not wanting to bulk up too much for this role, he didn’t often have the option of a spotter either, so before he could think about it he called Ian over and asked if he minded. He didn’t. As Mickey started to do reps, he could feel Ian’s eyes on him as he paced, like he was trying to find the right time to say what was on his mind.

“Gallagher would you spit it out, you’re stressing me out!”

“Oh, Uh shit, sorry, Uhm it’s nothing”

“Well you’re wearing a hole in the floor” Ian stopped reflexively, noticing his pacing.

“Sorry”

“Would you stop saying sorry and say what you wanted to say?”

“Uhm…Well, what I wanted to say was…uh sorry”

“For what?”

“Kind of hitting on you a little earlier…” Ian cowered away from him a little, Mickey rolled his eyes at the movement.

“So that _was_ you hitting on me. Interesting.” Shit Mickey thought. He should just say no worries and let it go but he couldn’t resist poking the bear so to speak.

“Yeah, I guess.” Ian blushed a little, but let the tension that had built up around him dissipate as he relaxed, realizing Mickey wasn’t mad.

“Nah don’t worry about it, I know I’m kind of irresistible” he laughed as he put the weight down and sat up, throwing his towel at Ian.

Mickey stood up and turned to walk towards the locker room across from them. 

“Mickey…” Ian looked at him expectantly as he turned back towards him. “Are we cool?”

“Well I don’t know about you but I’m definitely cool….” Ian’s stare turned into a glare. “yes Gallagher we’re cool. Now I’m going to take a shower, if you wanted to get some good pictures for your album now would be the time” Mickey let a cocky grin take over as Ian’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open slightly. Mickey had never noticed his lips before, wondered what they would feel like against his, or how they’d look sucking his dick…but those were all things he was thinking about now as Ian stared at him incredulously. Mickey quickly cleared all thoughts of Ian’s lips from his mind and turned back once again towards the locker room. “That was a joke Ian” 

Ian shook his head as a laugh erupted from his chest, Mickey turning to smile at him as Ian raised his middle finger.

* * *

“Fuck you Milkovich” he joked as he grabbed his own towel and water bottle and headed to the fountain to fill it up, watching Mickey walk into the locker room as he went. He headed back to the treadmill to get in another few minutes before finally heading into the locker room himself picking up the bag he had thrown by the entrance on his way in. Mickey was fully dressed and attempting to somewhat style his hair as Ian navigated around the shower block, stepping into the cubical.

“So, Gallagher, if you’re from Chicago why aren’t you spending the weekend with your family?” Mickey said just as Ian turned on the water.

“Why aren’t you?” Ian yelled from under the spray.

“Good point” Mickey mumbled almost low enough that Ian would’ve missed it under the roar of the shower if he hadn’t have been listening closely enough.

“My family is complicated, a lot of drama, I left this place to get away from it and I’m just not completely sure I’m ready to dive right into it all again yet.” Ian said from behind the door loudly enough for Mickey to hear but soft enough that Mickey could tell his tone was nervous.

“I get that, I don’t think mine have any idea I’m in town yet honestly, but I’m sure when they do you’ll hear about it”

Ian stepped out of the cubical, white towel around his waist and another smaller one in his hand patting dry his face and hair. Mickey was still by the mirror in the common area, not yet having perfected his hair. Ian dried himself off and dressed quickly while Mickey fought the urge to look at Ian behind him in the reflection of the mirror. He didn’t know what possessed him but the words were out of his mouth before he could stop himself.

“So If you’re not hanging with your family tonight what are you doing?” Mickey asked as Ian finished pulling his shirt on.

“Ordering take out and watching reruns of Big Bang Theory in my underwear probably” Ian shrugged as if to say what else would I be doing? “What are your plans?”

“Probably same, but I’m more of a That 70’s show kind of guy…”

“Everything makes so much sense now” Ian chided, smiling at Mickey in the reflection.

“You’re Hilarious. Keep it up. Wow.”

“What can I say, I’m wasting my talents on make up”

“Sure, okay. You keep telling yourself that.” Mickey laughed, still fussing with his hair.

“Ok, Stop.” Ian said annoyed at Mickeys failed attempts to right his hair, standing to close the gap between them. “Let me” Ian ran his fingers through Mickeys hair twisting the ends a little to make them fall back just right. Mickey felt the weight of Ian against him as he worked away at his hair, fighting back the urge to lean into his touch. Ian wet his hands under the tap and slicked everything back one final time before taking a step back to admire his work, leaving Mickey missing the closeness.

“There” Mickey turned back towards the mirror and checked out Ian’s handy work. The two gathered their things and headed out into the gym and back into the hallway. Mickey left the door unlocked behind him and the two headed towards the bank of elevators. Mickey hit the up button before breaking the silence they had fallen in to.

“So, I was thinking, did you want to maybe do that shit together?”

“What shit?” The elevator doors opened as few tourists filed out, one glancing at Mickey as he followed Ian into the capsule, clearly trying to decide if she was going to say anything, ask for a picture, whatever, thankfully she decided not to.

“Take out, bad TV…” Mickey rolled his eyes, the elevator doors closing

“You forgot the underwear part” Mickey knew he would never put up with shit like this from anyone else, he usually didn’t have the patience for it, but with Ian it felt different, endearing even. He pushed the button for the 18th floor and noticed Ian didn’t move to select his own.  
“Jesus Christ, you want to hang out or not?”

“Sure, your room or mine?”

“Yours, I have a suite but I’m sharing with Svetlana and the less time I get to spend with her the better” The elevator doors opened and the two started down the hallway.

“Sounds good, give me like 20 minutes to clean up?”

“Sure, I want to go grab my phone and shit anyway, what room are you in?”

“1812” Ian said pointing in the direction of his door as they walked towards it.

“Alright see ya in 20” Mickey kept walking as Ian slid his room key into the door.

It took Ian all of thirty seconds before the panic set in. His room was a mess, clothes sprawled everywhere, bed unmade. You would assume his military history would have knocked that out of him, but old habits die hard. Ian started to fold his clothes placing the pile neatly into the closet before fluffing up his pillows and straightening the comforter. He did a quick garbage sweep and threw a couple of old towels into the tub for the cleaning lady to collect later on. He stopped in front of the sink to look himself over in the mirror, he looked fine, he had just showered after all and his hair seemed to have dried okay. He applied a bit of cologne but not too much, he didn’t want to seem over eager. He flicked the TV on and was pulling on a sweater as he heard a knock at the door, he waited a few seconds before opening the door, Mickey on the other side, phone and laptop in hand, he had changed again into some sweat pants and Ian wasn’t going to complain about it.

“Hey” Ian motioned for him to come in and Mickey did so.

“Hey” Mickey nodded back as he made himself at home pretty quickly, plugging in his laptop and loading up the internet browser. “So take out, what were we thinking?”

“I don’t care honestly, I’m not picky”

“I was thinking deep dish, I’ve been craving it since our plane landed and Svetlana was not having any of it.”

“I’m so cool with that it’s unreal…. depending on one thing” Mickey raised an eyebrow at Ian’s statement urging him to go ahead. “Where are we ordering from”

This was the kind of shit that could end a relationship before it had even started Ian thought, cursing himself at the thought. They were never going to be anything other than friends, he knew that. Deep dish is a sacred tradition in Chicago and everyone has their favorites and you can’t sacrifice when it comes to real authentic deep dish. Mickey looked nervous and Ian smirked.

“….Lou…Malnatis?...” Mickey said slowly and quietly like if it was the wrong answer he could’ve pretended to have not said it at all.

“Thank you Jesus, I didn’t want to have to murder you, you have like body guards and shit it would’ve been a mess” Mickey let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding before laughing at Ian’s comment.

“You wouldn’t have a chance” he joked. “what kind do you want?” now it was Ian's turn to get nervous. He loved his pizza okay, it was his favorite food group, but he was always, always without fail judged on his pizza toppings.

“Just Cheese for me” Ian said quickly.

“Are you five?”

“Yeah I get it okay, okay I’m uncultured blah blah, heard it all before”

“I’m just saying…I just thought you’d be the kind of guy who liked a bit of meat…” Mickey cut himself off realizing his innuendo clearly at the same time Ian did if the raise of his eyebrows said anything.

“I do like meat, I love meat…just not on my pizza” Ian clarified as Mickey felt a blush run up his neck. Mickey ordered the pizzas online and informed Ian of the 30 minute delivery time. The two determined they wanted beer to accompany their pizza so they ran down to the store across the street and picked up a case before finding themselves in Ian’s room sitting at the head of his bed, each nursing a beer and watching an episode of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air in compromise. It wasn’t long before the pizza arrived and they dug in making a mess everywhere.

After four beers and an entire pizza each the two were feeling full and exhausted. There was a comfortable quiet that had overtaken them, like a familiarity, a peacefulness of being together. Mickey felt himself leaning towards Ian but didn’t have the energy to care and soon their bodies were pressed against each other as they watched their fourth episode of the show. As the episode ended Mickey moved to stand up and Ian followed, missing the contact. They gathered their empty pizza boxes and beer bottles leaving them on the desk, Mickey making his way to the door, Ian close behind. As Ian reached for the handle to see him out Mickey took a step closer to him, the two locking eyes for the first time all night. Ian closed the gap between them, a hand reaching up to the nape of Mickeys neck as Mickey leant into him, their noses brushing softly before Mickey pressed his lips against Ian’s. They moved together quickly and full of fervor before Mickey pulled away.

“Shit”

Ian let out a breath

“Yeah.”

“I…Shit…I’m…” Ian cut him off with his mouth, pushing him back against the door as Mickeys hands roamed his back and up under his shirt. Ian slid his hand down Mickeys chest, the other at his neck, Their mouths working against each other. Mickey backed them up until Ian’s legs hit at the end of the bed. He pulled away as their eyes met once more, Ian’s hands moving to the bottom of Mickeys t-shirt, tugging it up and over his head, Mickey returning the favor immediately after and pulling Ians sweater and shirt off in one movement. Mickey pushed Ian onto the bed before climbing up his body straddling his waist, Ian pulling him down to him, kissing him chastely before pulling back once again.

“Mickey…” Ian looked up at the dark haired man above him, admiring the angles of his face, trying to catch his breath “Are you….do you…”

“Yes” Mickey closed the gap once more before Ian turned them over, taking over dominance, intensifying the depth of their make out. They continued kissing, bodies up against one another for what seemed like eternity, both men too unsure whether to go any further, before they ended up settling on their sides facing each other. Finally coming up for air, limbs and bodies intertwined.

“Hi” Ian said

“Hey” Mickey blushed, burying his face into the pillow a bit, trying to hide the redness forming on his cheeks.

“So, that was something” Ian laughed trying to relax Mickey who seemed to have tensed right up.

“I guess…” Mickey didn’t know what to say, he hadn’t been in this situation in a long time, hadn’t allowed himself to be. But Ian was different, felt different, felt like something he was allowed to let himself have. Mickey knew he had to tell Ian something, he couldn’t just pretend this wasn’t happening and it wasn’t a big deal because it kind of was. But he didn’t know how, wasn’t sure what to say to make him sound like he wasn’t a fraud. The men laid in silence, eyes on each other for a couple of minutes before Mickey spoke again. “Remember the first day we met?”

“Of course”

“Remember what I told you about not believing everything you read in the magazines?”

“I do, I guess I should’ve read into that a little deeper huh?”

“Maybe” Mickey laughed a nervous laugh, but Ian comforted him with a soft hand placed on his cheek. “I’m sorry”

“For what?”

“Not telling you?”

“We literally met a week ago, I’m not mad. Okay a little because maybe we could’ve been making out for an entire week at this point but that is besides the point.” Ian laughed attempting to lighten the mood. “I get it.” Mickey looked up at him with hopeful eyes.

“You do?”

“Yeah, of course I do.” Ian kissed Mickey on the forehead before placing theirs together. “Mickey I grew up as a gay kid on the south side okay, and I know you probably did too, closeted whatever, you have to do what you have to do to survive there and for me it was tough, but Hollywood, with the life you have? I can only begin to imagine how hard that is, the expectations you must have on you”

“Its just, It is so accepted now in Hollywood right? so you’d think hey must be easy... but when your whole career is based on the fact that teenage girls want to date you, it’s kind of hard to be accepted for who you are.” Mickey looked nervous, scared almost, like he didn’t know if he had gone too far, said too much. Ian had never seen him like this before, he always thought of him as the tough guy.

“Its okay, you know that right? Like I’m not going to say anything.”

“I don’t blame you if you do, you might make some money” Mickey let out a forced laugh befor eIan pressed his lips against Mickeys once again, softly and quickly.

“I don’t give a shit about money, I just want to keep doing that”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Mickey could see the sincerity in Ian’s eyes and took that as his cue to lean in this time, the kiss more passionate than the last.

The two spent the next few hours making out in Ians bed, hands roaming each others bodies, pulling away only to catch their breath and for reaffirmation to keep going. They fell asleep somewhere between the light touches and gentle kisses, curled up against each others sides.

It was morning when Ian opened his eyes, the sunlight breaking through his haphazardly pulled drapes. He smiled as he remembered the night before, the way Mickey had opened up to him, how the evening had taken a turn in a direction he had not expected. He remembered the feel of Mickeys lips on his own, the softness of him against his side and they fell asleep, he shifted slowly but was greeted with an emptiness beside him, his eyes adjusting to the light and surveying the empty room left him feeling hollow, the disheveled pillow next to him the only indicator that the previous nights events hadn’t been some sort of weird figment of his imagination.

“Fuck” Ian huffed and turned his head into his pillow, hoping that maybe if he could force himself back into sleep when he woke up a second time Mickey would be there again.


	4. Every Inch Is A Mile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I’m sorry for the stupid thing I did last night”
> 
> “What stupid thing”
> 
> “You know what stupid fucking thing”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry once again for the delay in this chapter, but I finally got it out! Life is still a little upside down for me right now so it's been a struggle to actually sit down and write for more than five minutes at a time. I'll admit, I feel like i'm pretty bad when it comes to writing sex, and I'm not completely sure how I feel about it, so any comments and criticism are welcomed and encouraged. Thank you again for all of your comments on the previous chapters, it really does motivate me with writing more! 
> 
> Chapter title is from Body Like A Back Road by Sam Hunt, I can't get enough of this song lately!

It was just after 8 am when Mickey found himself in line at Starbucks. It was quiet for the most part, only two people in front of him, what you would expect for a Sunday morning. He was too aware of the weight of his phone in his pocket and he knew he should reply to one of the six messages he had received from Svetlana over the course of the past evening, but he also knew this wasn’t a conversation to be had over text message, and that it would go down far more smoothly after coffee. Mickey placed his order and grabbed his drinks before heading back to the hotel. He opened the door into his room using the key card, and slowly made his way over to the door leading to Svetlanas room, knocking on the door before opening it slightly, Lana curled up in her bed, glare set on him as she instructed him to come in.

“You still alive?” Svetlana started, sarcasm evident in her tone  
  
“I’m alive. Sorry.” Mickey moved towards her pulling her coffee from the tray and handing it to her as she sat up, a smirk on his face, before sitting at the end of her bed.

“You say sorry, but yet you don’t look it”

“I am sorry”

“Okay, what for?”

“Disappearing, not replying to your messages”

“Oh, I see” she rolled her eyes, she could never understand how after all these years Mickey didn’t get that she knew him better than he knew himself.

“Do I have something else to be sorry for?”

“I don’t know, you tell me”

“Fuck” Mickey knew she knew something was up, he knew he should’ve expected her to have him all figured out, she always did. “Okay, I’m sorry for the stupid thing I did last night”

“What stupid thing”

“You know what stupid fucking thing”

“I know what thing, but I don’t think it was stupid”

“What the fuck do you mean”

“You sleep with red boy, that’s not stupid, he’s cute”

“I didn’t sleep with him”

“No?”

“Okay, I slept with him, but I didn’t sleep with him, you know?”

“Yes, I understand, still I don’t think it’s stupid”

“You don’t?”

“No”

“Why not…you know better than anyone that it could ruin my career”

“Yes, maybe it does, but maybe not, who knows”

“Okay, sure who knows, you know and I know and It cant happen”

“Why cant it?”

“It just cant”

“You make problems, there are no problems”

“Sure. No problems, you hear yourself?”

“I do. This is good for you.”  
  
“Maybe, but what is good for me, and what is good for my career, those are two different things, and I pay you to do things that are good for my career”

“Yes, you do. Sometimes, you have to do what is good for you, to be able to do what is good for your career. And you are too tense. Not yourself. You need to relax a little. You being happy and healthy and motivated, doing your best work for this show? That is what is good for your career. Not denying yourself of your needs. If sleeping with red makes you less of a dick then maybe you should do it and not be so worried about what other people might think.”

“Jesus, you’re supposed to be my voice of reason here, supposed to talk me out of this shit”

“Mickey, I’ve been waiting for this to happen for years”

“What?”

“You to do something for you, and not for your career”

“Yeah…I guess” Mickey turned away from Svetlana his eyes on the floor.

“Look at me…I’ve forced so many women on you, and you’ve taken it every single time. You’ve sucked it up and pretended for the sake of your career. Don’t you think it’s time for me to suck it up and do something for you?”

“I thought you already were letting me do this show”

“I am, and you know what the world didn’t fall apart, in fact it’s doing the opposite”

“Okay”

“So you’ll think about it? Obviously I’m not forcing you to hook up with the guy, but if it’s something you want, something you really want, then don’t let me, or your sister, or your career get in the way of it.”

“I should go talk to him huh?”

“Yeah, you should”

 

* * *

 

 

Ian forced himself out of bed about an hour after he had first woken up, alone, and cursing his own stupidity. He found his way into the bathroom taking his meds and jumping into the shower. He mentally berated himself, how could he let this happen, nothing good could’ve come of it. The guy is closeted, and not going to throw his career away for a fling with a make up artist. This wasn’t going to be anything more, and he can’t believe he let himself think Mickey would have still been in his bed the next morning. He was so naïve, so dumb. This was just like him, fucking up the one good thing he had going in his life. Because he was sure he was about to lose his job, once Mickey realized he would have to see him every day he would come up with some way to get him fired. It was how these big name actors worked, they called the shots, they had all the power. Ian tried to clear his mind as the water pounded down around him, trying to pull himself back from the edge of a panic attack. He jumped out of the shower and threw a towel around his waist after towel drying his face and hair and made his way back into his room. It was then he stopped in his tracks and he saw the note scrawled on top of one of the pizza boxes on the desk, a number after it, quickly making his way towards it reading it over a couple of times

> “ _Thanks for last night, text me when you see this? Sorry I left, but I can explain later? – Mick”_

 

Ian let out a breath and sat himself in the desk chair throwing his head back and letting out a laugh, of course he thought, of course. Ian pulled out his phone programming the number into his contacts before standing up. He would text Mickey he had decided, but first he needed to sort his own head out. Heading over to his closet he pulled out clothing for the day before drying himself off completely and dressing. He made his way back into the bathroom fixing up his hair and brushing his teeth when he heard the knock at the door, he expected it to be house keeping if he was being honest, but when he saw Mickey facing him he wasn’t surprised.

“Hey” he muttered around a mouth full of toothpaste, motioning for him to come in as he headed back to the bathroom to rinse.

“Hi…” Mickey started as he followed him into the room, closing the door behind him.

“Saw your note” Ian said as he leaned against the door frame separating the bathroom from the bedroom, Mickeys eyes trained on the floor.

“Yeah? I wondered…” Mickey started, lifting his eyes to meet Ian's.

“I was going to message you, I just…” Now it was Ian's turn to look away.

“I know. Its okay”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Listen, I’m sorry I just left like that, I woke up and I had a bunch of missed messages from Svetlana, and I sort of freaked out a little bit and It was a dick move but I didn’t know what to do so I’m sorry” Mickey had realized he was rambling a little bit, but couldn’t find it in him to stop. He wanted Ian to know that he hadn’t regretted the night before.

“It’s okay” Ian smiled at him from the doorway before moving into the bedroom. “I kind of expected that I guess, I had hoped you wouldn’t but…it’s a lot to take in at once”

“Yeah, I just, I had a great time okay, and I liked it, a lot. I just…my reputation is my career okay, and sometimes I forget that the things I do affect that and I just…I’ve worked so hard to get here, and these days everything I do is so calculated, that sometimes I forget to take risks in my life”

“I get it.” Ian said, and he did. “But just know, I’m not out here trying to ruin you or your career. You can trust me when I say this is between us. I wont tell anyone about last night, and If you wanted to continue something…”

“I do. I want that”

“Well, then know one has to know. And that’s not because I don’t want them to, it’s because I like you, a lot, and I know we barely know each other, but I’d take you any way I can get you okay?”

“Okay.” Mickey laughed. “I like you a lot too, and I do want to know you better. I’ll be honest with you, Svetlana knows. I can’t hide shit from her, so I hope that is okay”

“It’s fine. Probably for the best”

“Yeah” Mickey smiled and he stepped closer to Ian, like a gravitational pull Ian closed the gap before their lips met, briefly, chastely. Pulling apart they both let out a chuckle. “So, what are you doing today?”

“Well when I woke up this morning I was planning in wallowing, but now it seems my schedule is clear” Ian joked. “What about you?”

“I was thinking of maybe being a bit of a tourist? Michigan Ave, Millennium park?”

“I haven’t been to Millennium Park since I was like 8…”

“Well what do you say want to go with me?”

“Sure, let me get my shit together” Ian smiled, Mickey grabbing his wrist as he went to get ready, pulling him back to him once again and kissing him softly before letting him go.

“I’ll go get mine, come by in five?” Ian nodded as Mickey let himself out. He grabbed his phone and wallet before pulling a hoodie and his jacket out of the closet, it was almost October and the wind in the city was cold, so he grabbed a beanie and a scarf and threw his gloves into his pockets just in case, he pulled his phone from its charger on the bedside table and slid his key card into his wallet which fit into the back pocket of his skinny jeans before sliding on his boots.He made his way down the hallway tapping on Mickeys door, Svetlana opening it soon after and motioning for him to come in.

“So you and Mickey go see sights?” she directed at Ian.

“Uh, yeah I guess so” he started, not sure how best to converse with her.

“So you seem smart but I must tell you some rules” Svetlana motioned at him to sit as Mickey came out of his bedroom, assessing the scene.

“Okay, that’s fair I think” Ian sat as Mickey joined them at the table.

“Jake is coming with you” Mickey started to protest but knew he wouldn’t win, Svetlana turned to Ian “He is our best security guy, he wont bother you, but will be around just in case. You must understand this is how it has to be.”

“I get it” Ian said, and he did. He knew he did. “It’s okay”

“No excessive drinking, definitely no drugs, No public affection, you two are just friends, you are just hanging out. If anyone asks for pictures, take them, Ian make sure you’re not in the shot” they both nodded, Mickey knew these rules too well. “Mickey, reply to me when I text you” she shot him a glare and he smirked knowing full well she was making a jab at him about their earlier conversation. “Lastly, Ian, no posting on social media without approval. That’s from here on out. I know that sounds harsh but the smallest thing can give it away, and the media and the fans will run with anything. You understand?”

“I do.”

“Now, I don’t know what your contract says, but I won’t be mentioning this to anyone at the show. If that’s going to be an issue I want you to deal with it or we end this whole arrangement okay.”

“I didn’t see anything in my contract, and from what I know Veronica and the girls hang out and no one has said anything so I don't foresee it being an issue but the second it is I’ll take care of it.

“Thank you” Svetlana smiled at him. “I know this is a lot, but we have to do this okay, it’s part of keeping everything a well oiled machine.”

“If you wanna back out I’d totally understand” Mickey spoke up for the first time in a while. Ian looked at him shaking his head. “You’re sure?”

“I’m sure, now where is the contract” Svetlana looked shocked, and Mickey laughed, he knew Ian knew how this stuff worked, and Ian knew it was coming.

“How did you know?” Svetlana laughed.

“I figured, you guys aren’t dumb, and no I have no issue signing it. Like I said I get it.”

Svetlana slid the page across the table to Ian and he skimmed it, It was everything they had just gone over and a few other stipulations that he had no issue abiding to. He reached out his hand for a pen and Svetlana handed him one before he scrawled his name on the line. Ian could feel Mickeys eyes on him, looking up to meet them, his face had concern etched in it but it lightened as soon as Ian smiled at him.

“Lets go” Mickey stood up grabbing his jacket, Ian close behind him.

“Have fun!!!” Svetlana laughed, a smile on her face as she stood and kissed Mickey on the cheek. She pulled Ian in for a hug, something he wasn’t expecting before whispering a “Thank you” in his ear.

* * *

 

The two headed out, followed closely by Jake who had the car waiting for them outside. It was lunchtime by the time they were on their way and the two debated on lunch spots.

“What about Panera” Ian started, knowing there was one near Millennium park.

“No, I know where we should go” Mickey started a sparkle in his eye and Ian looked at him with intrigue. “You can’t judge me, but it’s my guilty pleasure”

“Okay…”

“Cheesecake factory?” Ian was nodding before he had even finished saying the name.

“Hell. Yes” Ian loved the cheesecake factory, it was usually reserved for birthdays or special occasions but he thought, this was definitely a special occasion.

“There’s one in the John Hancock building, we can go there and then walk down Michigan to the park?”

“Sounds good to me”

Jake drove to the restaurant parking in the underground lot and following the two into the restaurant before finding a table nearby. One of the hostesses recognized Mickey immediately but wasn’t too much hassle; she led them to a secluded table in the back, which he had appreciated.

They ordered their food and ate while indulging in conversation. It was nice the two of them just hanging out, and learning more about each other. Mickey had told Ian all about how he met Svetlana and how she had introduced him to Hollywood and acting, about how she had saved him from the south side, and Ian told Mickey about his past, and about how he ended up as a make up artist. They had been eating for about an hour when the waitress came to clear their plates, asking if they would be getting desert. They both made eye contact, nodding in sync with one another. They ordered a slice of cheesecake each and laughed as they ate. It was easy and relaxed. When the waitress bought over the bill, Mickey threw down his card before Ian could protest, stating that it was on him, an apology “For earlier” he smiled.

The afternoon went well, they took a walk down Michigan Ave, doing a little bit of shopping here and there. They were stopped a few times by different girls asking for photos and Mickey obliged being charming and signing a few autographs as he went, Ian made sure he was out of the way for all of the photos, even taking a few of them himself. They walked through Millennium park for over an hour, taking pictures of the bean and some of the other pieces throughout the park. They made their way around the core of the city all afternoon, with a quick stop at Starbucks for coffee to keep them warm as they finished up with a walk along the river on their way back up to the car. They found themselves hungry again when they entered the parking garage and Ian suggested maybe calling for some Chinese food to take back to the hotel. Mickey agreed and they called to place an order before having Jake stop to pick it up for them on their way back to the hotel. They agreed on hanging out in Ian's room again to eat and watch a movie, Mickey stopped by his room on the way to change and grab his phone charger, as well as letting Svetlana know the plan for the evening.

They ate their food in relative silence before settling against the headboard of the bed to decide on a movie. They decided on their mutual love of The Departed, quoting lines throughout, before getting into a debate over who was the better actor Mark Wahlberg or Leonardo Dicaprio, Mickey was dead set on Leo while Ian plead Marks case.

“You just think he’s hot” Mickey stated, laughing at Ian’s dumbfounded expression.

“So what if I do?!” Ian retorted urging Mickey to go on, head tilted to face Mickey.

“You got a type Gallagher”

“Oh yeah I do huh?”

“Hmmm yeah I think so”

“Yeah, you’re right”

“So you do think he’s hot”

“Nah, my type is obviously good actors”

“Hilarious”

“They really get me going, why do you think you’re here, got shit to do with your face” Ian laughed as Mickeys eyebrows shot up.

“Is that so” Mickey moved to close the gap between their faces, pulling himself over to straddle Ian’s legs, their foreheads touching.

“Mhm.”

“So, you’re not a fan of my face at all”

“Nope.” Ian smirked, leaning in the last bit to place his lips on Mickeys, his hands finding his hips.

“Liar”

“Nope, big fan of this though” Ian said as his slid his hands down to rest on Mickeys ass, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“That’s probably for the best” Mickey chuckled, his lips grazing Ian’s ever so slightly.

“Mhmm” Ian pressed their lips together with more intensity, flipping them so Mickey was underneath him before trailing kisses down his neck to the hemline of his collar. “Big fan of this too” He slid his hands underneath Mickeys shirt, moving them up to his chest, Mickey pushing himself up before pulling his shirt over his head and lying back down. Ian continued trailing kisses down Mickeys chest, as his breathing picked up. He could see the rise and fall of his chest, Ian feeling the beating in his own quicken. Ian found himself being pulled back up to Mickeys face so that they were eye to eye before Mickey leaned up to kiss him on the lips, it was full of passion and fervor, more so than any of their previous kisses. Mickey arched himself up into Ian, pressing his hardness against his, he quickly stripped Ian of his shirt before flipping them once again. Mickey hovered over Ian, leaning down to places kisses to his neck and chest, meeting his eyes as Ian watched him.

“I want you” Mickey whispered as Ian pulled him down to him, his hands sliding down to unbutton his jeans.

“I want you too” Ian breathed out as the intensity of their make out ramped up. Mickey broke the kiss quickly, standing to pull off Ian’s jeans and underwear, before kissing down his stomach his hand finding Ian’s hard length, stroking him gently before looking up at him as if asking for permission, Ian nodded as Mickey moved his mouth down further, his tongue lapping at the tip of Ian’s dick, tasting him for the first time. He worked Ian with his mouth, caressing his balls with his one hand, the other splayed out over his stomach. Ian had moved his hands to Mickeys hair, helping to control the rhythm of his movements. It wasn’t long before Ian was pushing Mickey off of him, the sensation too much, too close to coming way too early. He wanted to get inside of Mickey, wanted to feel his tightness around his cock, and there was no way he would make it that far if he let mickey continue. He pulled Mickey up to his face his lips meeting his as he tasted himself on Mickeys tongue. Ian flipped them once again sliding to the end of the bed and pulling off Mickeys jeans and boxers before reaching over to his drawer and pulling out lube and condoms. Mickeys eyes met Ian's, his tongue darting out to lick his lips.

“Are you sure about this” Ian asked before Mickey sat up pulling him to him and kissing him once again, his nervousness obvious, before turning himself over and presenting himself to Ian.

“I’m sure….it’s been…” before Mickey could get it out Ian interrupted him.

“We’ll go slow” he said placing a kiss to Mickeys left ass cheek before popping the cap on the lube and slicking up his fingers. “Talk to me okay”

“I will” Mickey said, his voice hoarse.

“You’re ready?” Ian questioned.

“Yes” Mickey whispered

Ian slid one finger into Mickey, slowly opening him up before Mickey motioned that he was ready for another, and then another, Ian had him stretched out and ready soon enough and Mickey was getting impatient.

Ian reached around to take a hold of Mickeys cock stroking it a few times before Mickey spoke up “I’m ready. I need this”

Ian tore open the condom, sliding it over himself and moved slowly, not wanting to hurt Mickey, lining himself up and carefully inching himself inside. “You feel so good Mick”

“It feels so good, you feel so good” Mickey replied, his breathing heavy.

“Can I keep going”

“Yes, please, yes”

Ian pushed in further finally bottoming out and stilling himself as Mickey took a couple of deep breaths.

“You can move” he nodded as Ian slowly slid himself out and back into him, working his pace up slowly. “Yeah, that’s good Ian, yeah that’s….fuck”

Ians pace was increasing as he pushed into Mickey, his tightness enveloping his cock as he went. Ian shifted himself so he was draped across Mickeys back, his hand reaching around to work Mickey as he thrust into him.

It didn’t take long for Mickey to come right in Ian's hand, his body pulsating as his his orgasm ripped through him, Ian wasn’t far behind him and with a few more thrusts he was coming, riding out his own high as Mickeys hole tightened around him. He slid out and stood up, making his way to the bathroom and getting a wet cloth to wipe himself down, throwing one at Mickey as he made his way back to the bed, Mickey now lying on his back, looking thoroughly fucked out. His hair disheveled and his cheeks pink, redness blotching up his chest as he wiped himself down. Ian knew right then and there he was well and truly screwed. He made his way back to the bed, climbing in beside Mickey who reached his arm out pulling Ian into his side, kissing the top of his head before muttering quietly.

“That was amazing” Ian chuckled his face against Mickeys chest, his hand tracing patterns up and down his stomach before placing a light peck to his chest and shifting to look up at him.

“You’re amazing” Ian said, his lips finding Mickeys before placing his head back onto Mickeys chest and wondering how in the hell they got here in the span of two days.


End file.
